The Tricks They Play
by ranelone229
Summary: In a race against time, Pokemon Trainer Ash Ketchum has to deal with fulfilling his childhood dream, along with fighting against Team Rocket's nefarious schemes. With the loss of his loved ones and everything he holds dear on the line, it's a long, lonely road for a boy and his Pokemon.
1. Chapter 1

Right, here we go, lads! Don't hesitate to review. Enjoy :)

* * *

As Ash walked through Pallet Town, he made for quite a sight.

With his hands in his pockets, headphones on, and his short-spiky hair without a cap on full display, he could have been considered a mildly intimidating boy, if not for the skip in his step.

Ash was a thirteen-year-old boy and an aspiring Pokemon Trainer. In Kanto, the legal age to become a trainer and to compete in the Indigo Conference was 13. He had hit that milestone yesterday and was full of exuberance.

He was going to receive his first Pokemon from Professor Oak, Kanto's shining light; a man who was renowned across all regions for his intellect and breakthroughs in the field of Pokemon. He used to be a Pokemon Trainer, but after a while, he dropped the battling aspect of his life and dedicated himself to research. His grandson, Gary Oak, was starting his journey soon as well.

Gary used to be Ash's friend, but after the death of his parents he barely talked to anyone. Gary kept ignoring Ash's attempts to talk to him, so Ash eventually gave up. It hurt Ash to see his friend like this, but after 3 years, he had gotten used to it. They'd be starting their journeys soon, so he was hoping that they could make amends.

Ash sighed, but then widely grinned as the thought of becoming a Pokemon Trainer crossed his mind again. He couldn't wait! He'd already planned his routes and was ready to go. The thought of leaving his mother, Professor Oak, and everybody else made him sad, but the sheer joy of starting his journey blurred it out.

Besides, he could always call them at the Pokemon Center.

* * *

"Ashy! You're back! Did you get the radishes?"

Ash smiled at the enthusiastic greeting he received from his mother. He wouldn't get much of that when he was traveling. He got on his toes and kissed her cheek. His mother was 5'7, while he was 5'2. He'd catch up.

"I got them. Did Professor Oak tell you when he's going to give out the Pokemon?" Ash felt that rush of excitement again.

Delia's smile faltered as she spoke, "About that, I'm sorry honey. The Professor has been called to the Indigo Plateau due to some issues. He told me that he'd be gone for a couple of days."

Ash felt disappointment rearing up in him but managed to keep himself calm. "That's fine, I guess. I've waited for a long time. I guess I can wait for a few more days."

"Aw, my Ash is so mature!" Delia said, teasingly.

Ash laughed it off and ran up the stairs to his room, removing his shoes before hopping on to his bed. His mother allowed him to decorate his room when he was 8, and he made full use of it. The walls were a light blue, with greenery designed on it. Ash had always felt comfortable amongst nature and made sure that his room reflected it. His room wasn't enormous, but it was more than enough for one person. His mother had her room, there was a guest bedroom, and the kitchen, oddly enough, was the biggest room in the house.. They had a small backyard, which Ash had spent the majority of his childhood running around in, playing with Gary, his mother, and for a brief period, his father.

There was a desk that housed a computer, which he used to look up Pokemon and other regions, a TV, which Ash used to view the Indigo Conference every year, along with other major battles.

He laid down and realized that he still hadn't decided which Pokemon he wanted to choose for his journey. Usually, Ash made instinctual decisions, but he just couldn't choose between Charmander and Bulbasaur. Gary had confidently told him (many times) that Squirtle would be his, so Ash hadn't bothered thinking about it. Charmander appealed to his childhood dreams of using power and strength to steamroll oppositions. Which boy wouldn't take a shine to fire?

As he grew up, however, he had started to appreciate subtleties of life. He'd gained a new appreciation for Pokemon who didn't have the brute strength to take down opponents and had to use other means to succeed. Bulbasaur, which eventually reached the form of Venusaur, was not known for its strength, but for its move-set which could induce status effects and other tactical moves. It wasn't short on power either, moves like Solar Beam, Power Whip, and Frenzy Plant spoke otherwise.

Ash was torn and still couldn't decide. He was partly hoping that one of the two Pokemon were taken by other trainers so that he didn't have to make a choice.

He would never sleep tonight if he kept thinking about it. Both Pokemon were extremely powerful in their own ways. He'd take whatever he could get.

* * *

Ash controlled his breathing as he ran around the outskirts of the town for the second time. He started a daily routine of running in the morning two months ago in a bid to improve his stamina. Traveling around Kanto on foot, at least until he got a Pokemon capable of flying, would be exhausting. He didn't want to collapse from exhaustion, and he already started seeing improvement. At the start, he could barely run around Pallet -which wasn't very large- before taking deep breaths through his mouth. Now, he could run a solid 3 rounds, start taking some deep breaths by the fourth round, and pant through the fifth.

He slowed down after the fourth round, opting to skip the fifth, before walking into his house. It was pretty early, 6:15, to be precise. It was a Saturday, and his mother preferred to sleep in until 6:45 on the weekends. He made an effort to not be noisy, not wanting to disturb his mother. He jogged up to the shower and closed the door of the bathroom silently.

As the warm water hit his face and trailed down, he started thinking about the fact that it had been three days since Professor Oak had left for the Indigo Plateau. His mother, who was an aide at the Professor's lab, hadn't received any news. In an unusually civil conversation, Gary revealed that even he didn't have any news, which was surprising, as Oak cared about his grandson a lot, especially after the death of Gary's father, Oak's son. Ash didn't allow that to make him antsy and usually kept himself calm by rough-housing with some of the Pokemon at the Ranch.

However, he couldn't deny that he was nervous for the Professor. It wasn't like him to not send word for three days. He could get caught up in work, sure, but even leaving Gary in the dark was new.

He sighed and got out of the shower, toweling off. He slipped on a black shirt and some blue jeans before heading down, foregoing his usual cap and jacket. He went to the kitchen and made himself a cup of tea, before sitting back and relaxing.

The sound of the telephone ringing promptly got him to go attend to it, he picked it up and pressed it against his ear.

"Hello, who is this?"

The voice on the opposite line was close to a whisper, and Ash had to strain his ears to hear it.

"Ash, it's me, Gary. Keep your voice low. I'm in Grandpa's house. Some people broke into Gramps' lab. I can hear them and their Pokemon."

Ash startled at hearing this and nearly dropped his tea on his feet. Cursing, he kept the cup on the table before responding, making sure to keep his voice low.

"What, who are they? Where are you?"

"I'm inside a cupboard. I think they're from Team Rocket. I heard them saying it from here. Gramps gave me my Pokemon, a Squirtle, before he left, but I don't want to use him against them, he's bound to be too weak. Help me! Call someone!" His normally composed voice turned into pleading towards the end.

Ash's blood ran cold at hearing this. Team Rocket was an organization notorious for its experiments on Pokemon. They stole Pokemon and money and carried out inhumane experiments on Pokemon, like tampering their DNA to make them more compliant or dangerous. Professor Oak had talked about them and he had warned them that, if they ever came across Team Rocket, to run. If they were breaking into his lab to steal valuable research items, perhaps they would enter the house as well.

There was also a spike of jealousy when he heard that Gary had got his Pokemon already, but he pushed it down. His former friend could be in serious trouble here. Ash didn't know what to do. He didn't have any Pokemon. His mother had a Mr. Mime, but she'd lent him to a neighbor to help her with some housework two days before. He considered waking his mother up and telling her the situation, but it would take too long, and he feared Gary didn't have enough time.

"Hold on Gary, my mum has a Mr. Mime. I'll get him and come free you." Ash didn't bother to think about getting other adults to deal with this. Most of them didn't even have any Pokemon, and the ones they did have weren't battle trained. Judging off of what Gary had told him, Team Rocket had come with Pokemon.

Gary audibly swallowed before cutting the call.

Ash chugged the tea down and hastily placed the cup on the table before sprinting out of the kitchen. He fumbled with his shoes and managed to slip them on before rushing out of the door. Emmeline, the woman to whom Mr. Mime had been lent to, lived quite near to them. From there, it was a short sprint to Professor Oak's house, consisting of the Ranch, the lab, and the house itself.

He sprinted over to Emmeline's house, dodging inquiries from his neighbors on what he was doing. He didn't bother knocking and flung the door open, thankful that it wasn't locked. Emmeline was sitting on the couch watching TV and was shocked to see him panting at her doorstep.

"Ash, is that you? What are you doing?" She asked, clearly startled.

"Where's Mr. Mime?!" He demanded, too frantic to be polite.

She was surprised at the aggressiveness and replied, "Um, I returned him to your mother last night. Why?"

"Damn it!" Ash cursed before going back the way he came, coming to a standstill a couple of meters away from Emmeline's house. He had no idea that Mr. Mime had been returned and now he'd have to go back to his house to get him. He got ready to go back but then stopped as he smelled smoke and heard noise some distance away, and as he turned around, he received the biggest shock of his life.

Professor Oak's lab was on fire.

"No!" Ash yelled. He sprinted towards the house, despite being unable to help. His mind worked quickly and he saw that the fire was unnaturally positioned. It seemed to stop right at the boundaries of the lab. There was definitely psychic interference going on. However, the fire wouldn't spread to the house, where Gary was, at the very least.

He ran shoulder-first into the door and pushed it open. He was welcomed with the sight of a man and a Magmar standing in front of... a Pokemon which Ash couldn't identify. He was pretty sure that it was covered with soot, and blood, although not a copious amount. The person who he assumed was Magmar's trainer, had a regal air about him, with his high cheekbones and immaculately styled hair, despite being close to a burning building. He saw him and quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh?" he let out a high laugh. "It appears we have a guest." His lips took on a mocking smile.

Ash clenched his fists. "Get out of here. Professor Oak isn't here."

"Ah, but his grandson is. Imagine the leverage we would hold over him."

Ash's blood went cold. "G-Gary isn't here." He tried to keep his calm. If he seemed skittish, they would realize that Gary was here, and Ash was sure that it wouldn't bode well for him.

"No need to lie. We found him in the upstairs cupboard. His Squirtle tried to protect him, but all it did was set Magmar off," He said, gesturing to the lab which was on fire. Ash suddenly felt every single thing around him. He audibly swallowed as he heard sounds upstairs. What were they doing?

"Why have you kept the fire in the lab?" Ash said nonchalantly, trying to keep the man, who on closer observation, seemed to be in his late teens, talking.

"Magmar is a Pokemon of many talents. Harnessing psychic energy is just one of them," His smile suddenly sharpened. "But enough of that. Magmar, flamethrower."

Ash braced himself to dodge out of the way but realized that the attack was coming for the still-lying bundle of soot and blood. It sprang into action and quickly slithered away from the jet of flame, which was strong enough to have Ash feel the heat, despite being a good distance away from the fire.

"Magmar, Psychic!" The first hints of annoyance were beginning to creep into the mysterious trainer's tone. The Pokemon froze, unable to move, and Magmar, visibly concentrating, took slow steps towards the Pokemon.

"He's holding two links now, one on the fire, and the other," A malicious smile took over his face. "On the Dratini."

Ash froze in shock. It was a Dratini? No wonder extra effort was being put in to get this thing. Team Rocket were well-known for their fascination with powerful Pokemon. The question was, why was a Dratini present here?

Seeing Magmar pick up its pace filled Ash with steely determination. He ran towards the Dratini, grabbing it, and tried to run out of the door. Emphasis on 'tried'. Magmar had dropped the link on Dratini and had reinforced the door. Ash helplessly looked towards the windows, but they were all bolted shut. Ash heavily regretted not going back to his mother for her help and Mr. Mime.

"Not so quick!" The trainer laughed, a hint of laughter entering his voice. "This is a very special Dratini. Hatched from two very strong Dragonite that Team Rocket, ahem, had control over. I'm afraid it is coming with me."

"You're crazy!" Ash yelled, clutching the Dratini closer. Some of the soot had been blown away. The blue scales of the Dratini were clearly visible to him now. Terror filled Ash now. Control over the likes of Dragonites should have been impossible. They were very strong Pokemon with an undefeatable will. Panic took over him. If he or the Dratini got captured now, he didn't want to entertain the thoughts of what would happen.

"I can see, however, from here, that the Dratini has formed an attachment to you." The Team Rocket member spoke, his cordial tone darkening. "It has only been a couple of months since it hatched. Fuck, this was supposed to be my reward, and now it's imparted on you." His tone was bitter and it didn't help that his moods kept turning. It frightened Ash.

"If I can't have him, nobody can! Magmar, fuck him up!" His tone turned fully maniacal, as he gave orders to his Magmar to destroy Ash and the Dratini.

Desolation slammed into Ash. As Magmar took a deep breath, building up to release an enormous jet of fire, Ash looked around for a means of escape, but there was none. It was an enclosed area. The door was barred. The Magmar and the psycho were standing at the door and to make things worse, Ash realized that Gary was screaming upstairs. He closed his eyes as desolation washed over him. Everything had gone wrong. He'd woken up for a jog, and now Gary and he were probably near death.

The Dratini gave an impression of a growl in his arms, which caused Ash to snap his eyes open. For the sake of the Dratini, at least, he'd try to maneuver around the space in the room to escape the fire. It looked to be futile, but Ash was not going to lie down and die.

Just as Magmar was about to roast Ash and Dratini, something heavy impacted the walls of the house, breaking them down.

Magmar was thrown into the air, shooting the jet of flame upwards to no effect. The trainer was thrown into the lawn, landing heavily. Ash was perhaps injured the worst of them all. He was flung through the air and landed on to the remnant of the walls, head first. Everything felt fuzzy. He gathered himself enough to realize that there was a fierce battle going on between the Rockets and... Professor Oak! He tried to right himself, but collapsed instantly.

* * *

The loud beeping of a monitor near him, along with the sterile scent of a clinic, woke Ash up. He immediately recognized that he was in the Pallet Clinic. He slowly opened his eyes and was immediately assaulted with thirst.

He pushed himself up and moved into a sitting position on the bed. He didn't feel too bad. The dizziness was gone, and the minor scrapes he had were covered with bandages.

He cleared his throat once, wincing at the rustiness, before calling out, "Water."

A nurse cheerfully strolled into the room with a clipboard in her hands, "Ah you're awake, here's a glass of water," she handed over a glass to him.

Ash gratefully sipped at his drink, relaxing his throat. "What happened?" He asked.

The nurse paused, "Well, an organization called Team Rocket,"

Ash snorted. Who didn't know about Team Rocket?

The nurse gave a pointed glance to him. "As I was saying, they wanted to take some of Professor Oak's research on Mega Evolution."

Ash was perplexed. "Mega Evolution?"

The nurse shrugged. "I wish I knew. Anyway, the aides at the lab fought back and eventually, the lab was lit on fire during the fight."

"What about Gary? How is he?" Ash asked.

"He's fine. He broke his arm when he was thrown into a wall-"

"Thrown into a wall?!" Ash yelled, shocked.

"Ahem, he was fixed up easily. He's just a bit angry."

Ash snorted, that was an understatement.

"You on the other hand." Her tone turned disapproving. "What possessed you to take on Team Rocket members without Pokemon?"

Ash replied, cowed, "I was trying to help Gary."

"Thankfully, he went easy on you and you escaped, along with the Dratini."

"The Dratini, how is it?!" Ash asked frantically. It did have some blood on it at the house.

"Calm down, it shed its scales once, it's as good as new."

Ash let out a relieved breath. He'd only been with the Dratini for a short amount of time, but he already felt like he had a connection with it. Had that psycho, -a moment of vindictiveness took over Ash- been right?

"Your mother is talking to the Professor, you'll be discharged soon." The nurse walked out of the room.

Ash sunk back to the bed, sighing. It had been really tough for him to go through the entire thing. Hearing stories about Team Rocket was one thing, witnessing them in person was another. He remembered the sheer terror he felt throughout his encounter with the Team Rocket member. He felt a hint of resentment towards Professor Oak for leaving Pallet Town defenceless, but he pushed it down. Nobody had asked him to go and put himself in danger.

Ash idly wondered if the starter Pokemon would still be handed out. The entire experience had fuelled him to be as strong as he could. He would take down Team Rocket!

* * *

"Well, things might have not been the best lately, but nothing can quite mask over the feeling of starting a Pokemon journey, can it?" Professor Oak said cheerfully, hoping to rouse a smile out of the children. He failed.

Gary leaned back on the settee with his usual apathy on display, though there was a tinge of life in his eyes today. Ash idly wondered how Gary was coping. Ash knew that he himself was still struggling. He'd woken up with nightmares in the past couple of days. A Magmar was always present, releasing an enormous jet of flame. A haughty, yet psychotic laugh was always present, belonging to the mysterious trainer who'd managed to escape while Professor Oak was fighting the other members. The rest had been captured and imprisoned. Something which still stung, Ash thought, was that Gary hadn't thanked him once or even acknowledged him.

The Dratini had been kept in the Ranch, and Ash visited it many times in the three days since its rescue. Professor Oak told him that Team Rocket hadn't done anything to it, as it only hatched a couple of months ago. It was a fierce, male Pokemon. Male Dragons were very feisty and never backed down from fights. However, he was receptive to Ash. Ash hoped he'd be allowed to take him as a starter, but since dragons matured slowly, he didn't know if Professor Oak would allow him to keep the young Dratini.

The third trainer graduating from Pallet was a girl named Leaf. She was a very athletic girl and Ash remembered that she used to play with the boys a lot in school, rough-housing with them. She was hopping from foot to foot, not plagued by the negative emotions radiating from Ash and Gary. She'd not been present during the attack. He shouldn't have been there either, Ash thought bitterly.

"Yeah, Professor! We're ready!" Leaf spoke for all of them cheerfully. Ash snuck a glance at Gary to see his eye twitching at the girl's excitement.

"Good to see!" Professor Oak sweat-dropped at the reactions of the other two future trainers but proceeded to whip off the sheet covering the table with... two Pokeballs?

"I'm sorry to say that Team Rocket managed to steal the Charmander while they were here. I couldn't stop one of them from escaping, and he took Charmander," Oak spoke, his tone filled with sorrow.

Ash pulled his cap down to hide his face and clenched his fists. Not only had that maniac nearly killed him but he'd also managed to delay or even stop one of the three trainers' journeys. He'd pay, Ash promised to himself. He'd pay.

Gary snorted at the side while Leaf stilled for a moment.

"Not to worry! I promise that you all will walk out of here with Pokemon!"

Wait, what? Where was the third Pokemon?

"Now, according to your personality, skills, and temperament, I have assigned you your starters. Gary, Squirtle goes to you. Even though I already gave him to you." Oak muttered the last part quietly.

Professor Oak handed the Pokeball to Gary. A grin came over his face as he cockily stated, "Alright! Here we go! Come on out, big guy!"

Gary let Squirtle out. By observing it, Ash saw that it was larger than the average Squirtle. It didn't look very fast, but Ash had no doubt that it would pack a punch. It looked up and grinned at Gary; at that moment, both of them looked remarkably similar.

"You look like a tough nut. D'you wanna come with me? You'll be the strongest Blastoise, in like ever! I know we started off in a bit of a sticky situation, but we'll be unbeatable together!" Gary spoke animatedly, his hand outstretched. Ash raised an eyebrow at this while Professor Oak smiled. For Gary to forego his eloquence meant that he was very excited.

The Squirtle grunted and jumped to headbutt Gary's hand. Gary winced in pain.

"Yeah, you'll do," he grumbled, holding his hand.

"He is a very attack-oriented Squirtle, although he can be very versatile if trained right. He hatched from two Blastoise who were part of a former Champion's team." Professor Oak spoke with a smile.

"Neat! Thanks, Gramps!" Gary recalled Squirtle and sat back down against the couch, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Well, it was a very tough choice on who the Bulbasaur should go to. However, considering all the facts, it was an easy decision. Leaf, here is your first Pokemon!"

Ash leaned back in his seat with a wince. It seemed that he would be receiving an unconventional starter, given Professor Oak's promise to them that they would all receive Pokemon.

Leaf smiled happily and collected her Pokemon from Professor Oak. She briefly looked towards Ash with an apologetic expression but Ash smiled at her to signify that he wasn't bothered. Gary briefly glanced at him, but then turned away.

Leaf let out the Bulbasaur and happily chatted with it. "Hi Bulbasaur! I'm Leaf! I'm going to travel around Kanto and win the Indigo League! Do you want to come with me?"

The Bulbasaur lightly tackled Leaf's leg to signify yes. Leaf smiled at that.

"She is a fine specimen of her species. You'll do well with her," Professor Oak said, smiling.

"So, what about me?" Ash asked.

"Ash, you must have known what you're going to get!" Professor Oak said, winking.

Ash looked at the Professor confused. And then, the answer hit him like a truck.

"I'm getting the Dratini?!" Ash didn't bother to keep his voice down. He was ecstatic.

"Yes! Personally, I think he needs this as well. He's been very active around the Ranch, and with him suffering no damage from his stay with the Rockets, he'll make a very good companion for you." The Professor's tone turned solemn for a moment. "Be warned Ash, male dragons can be very aggressive at times, especially after evolution. They also develop slowly. Don't hurry them in a pursuit to get your badges quickly."

"I swear I won't. I know about them. It's 18 months to the Conference, there's no hurry," Ash quickly promised. He'd take care of the Dratini well.

"I believe you, Ash. Here." Professor Oak handed Ash a Pokeball from his pocket. Ash quickly released him and fell to one knee, coming face to face with the Pokemon whom he'd nearly died with.

The Dratini first looked at Professor Oak and snarled at him, before locking eyes with Ash and using his tail to tap his hand as a greeting.

"I don't think he likes me very much," Professor Oak chuckled. Ash ignored him and focused on the Dratini.

"Hey, buddy. I'm going to be the best Pokemon Trainer I can. Do you want to come with me? We can take down Team Rocket, together." Ash murmured the last part quietly, only wanting Dratini to hear it. He perked up at that last sentence and headbutted Ash's hand in determination.

Ash smiled. "Right, do you want a nickname?"

Dratini was still for a moment before nodding its head.

"How about... Zeus?"

Dratini snorted and lightly swatted his hand with his tail.

"Yeah, I'll take that as a no," Ash said, dryly. "How about Ares?"

Dratini immediately nodded his head.

"Ares it is." Ash smiled and stood up, recalling him.

Professor Oak interrupted the candid moment and spoke. "Now that you've all got your starters, here is your Pokedex. It is a device that can be used to call people, as well as give information about Pokemon. It contains your license, and this is what will be taken for identification."

All of them stood up and prepared to leave, before the Professor spoke- "Before you head out, remember this. You're meant to enjoy your journey. Don't go through it for the sake of being the best. Live every moment of it. Call every now and then." His eyes took a faraway look as if he was remembering something.

"We'll remember." They gave varying answers in this form before leaving, Gary quietly said his goodbyes to his grandfather once before exiting.

Leaf spoke, "Well, I'm going to say goodbye to my parents before leaving. See ya!" She mock-saluted them before leaving.

Gary and Ash were left together and for a moment, an awkward silence took over. There had been an unspoken accord of cordialness and none of them wanted to break it.

"I want to say sorry to you." Gary finally spoke, meeting Ash's eyes. "I was there for you when your father died. You tried to do the same thing for me, but I didn't let you. We were good friends, and I want to go back to how it was." He held his hand out, waving for Ash's response.

"Yeah. I get it. I don't blame you for lashing out. I don't anything hanging over me before my journey. Welcome back, Gary." Ash hugged him, not bothering to shake his hand. Gary was taken aback but patted his back.

"Heh, knew you needed me around." His cocky tone resurfaced. "Well, Ashy boy, I'm off, we'll see each other around. Smell ya later!" Gary hooked his fingers around the strap of the backpack he was wearing and left for the route which lead to Viridian City, whistling a jaunty tune.

Ash shook his head and jogged over to his house to say goodbye to his mother. He would miss her and Mr. Mime. He opened the door to see Mr. Mime sweeping the floor. It saw him and chattered happily. He laughed and hugged it. It chattered some more before waving to him, resuming its sweeping. His mum was in the kitchen, cooking lunch for him, he presumed.

She turned around and saw him, "Ash, you got your Pokemon? What is it?" She asked eagerly.

"It's a Dratini." Ash spoke, knowing that his mother would understand.

Her eyes widened. "Oh, I'm so glad that Team Rocket didn't do anything to him." Her tone became stern for a moment, "Do not go after Team Rocket, Ash. You were lucky to be mostly unscathed. I was so worried after hearing that you were injured!

Ash winced. Facing Team Rocket and trying to save Gary on his own hadn't been his smartest moment.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I promise I won't go after them." He crossed his fingers behind his back. He swore to himself that they would pay, but put the thought out of his mind for the moment.

His mother hugged him. "Oh, it is going to be quiet without you here," she said, sniffling.

Ash felt awkward. "Don't worry, Mum. Mr. Mime, and Professor Oak will be here! I'll still call!"

His mum wiped her eyes. "I know, it's just tough for me to see you so grown-up. But enough about that, I made you some lunch. You don't have to resort to Trainer Meals yet." Ash wryly grinned. He accepted the box and put it in his bag.

"Thanks, mum. I really appreciate it." He kissed her cheek before running up to his room one last time to grab his hat and jacket. Donning the former and wearing the latter on top of his black tee.

He stood at the doorstep and wished his mother goodbye, she smiled and wished him the same.

Ash closed the door and strode out. He walked over to the entrance of the first route and looked back, the enormity of the situation catching up to him.

But he then remembered Team Rocket and his childhood dream, which fuelled him to keep going.

"We can do this," he softly murmured to the Pokeball at his hip. It shook for a second as if acknowledging his words. Ash smiled and marched on.

* * *

5642 words! That is the longest chapter I've ever written.

I think I've done pretty well. I've laid a decent foundation, there are some hints of future plotlines here, etc.

I've been heavily inspired by The Deathman's Dragons, and Traveler, both of which are on FFN. By that, I like the idea of a better Ash with a darker background. I'm not going to be ripping anyone off :D

I'll see when I can drop the next chapter, till then, I bid you adieu.

Edited on- 31/3/20

Proofread by my beta reader Lil' Hedgepig :)


	2. Chapter 2

Hey, it's been a couple of weeks, but I got back into the swing of things to write this.

BTW guys, take care of yourselves. COVID-19 is proving to be quite serious.

Anyway, suggestions are welcome :)

* * *

This Dratini is a male. He knows the moves: Wrap, Thunder Wave, and Dragon Pulse. He has the ability: Shed Skin.

Ash whistled after reading the Pokedex entry. Dragon Pulse was definitely the result of Ares' breeding, as the Team Rocket member had boasted. He walked for a short distance and came across a clearing. He took a moment to sip some water before releasing Ares from his Pokeball. Ares happily growled when he came out of the Pokeball. He looked fresh, with no signs of the battle he'd been in a couple of days ago, Ash noted happily.

"Right, Ares, I want to do some quick drills with you, just to get a feel of what you can do. I'm going to call out your moves and you're going to perform them on that tree," Ash said, pointing to the nearby tree.

Ares butted his leg to show his agreement. He then slithered off to wait a couple of meters away from the tree.

Ash frowned for a moment. Judging Wrap by using it on a tree would be pointless. The same with Thunder Wave. He decided to try out Dragon Pulse.

"Dragon Pulse."

Ares reared back in concentration before being surrounded by what Ash assumed was draconic energy, which was a colour reminiscent of lilac. Ares struggled to get a proper grasp on it, as it kept fizzling for a couple of moments before it settled into a small cover over him. Ares then dispersed it, the attack weakly crashing on to the tree, barely making an impact.

Ash winced. It wasn't unexpected. Dragon-type moves were tough to use and even tougher to master because of how slippery draconic energy was. Practice would allow Ares to use Dragon Pulse better.

Ares came back to Ash disappointed as he himself had been hoping to do some damage.

"It's fine, Ares. You did better than I expected you to do," Ash consoled, patting Ares' head.

"I also want to see how fast you are but that can wait until we battle," Ash mused. He slipped on his backpack again and beckoned Ares towards him. He didn't bother recalling him because he wanted to battle some Pokemon. In the short walk from Pallet to the clearing, Ash had seen some wild Pokemon, mostly the ilk of Caterpie and Pidgey, but hadn't bothered to fight them. He had taken a moment to think upon the fact that he was a Pokemon Trainer. He accepted the fact and now he was ready to get into the swing of things.

Ares growled, butting his head against Ash's shoe. Ash looked around and saw that Ares was antsy due to the Oddish nearby. He frowned. Oddish? They weren't really seen in this route. He briefly entertained thoughts of catching it but dispelled it. Oddish evolved into Gloom and they were a challenge for every trainer due to their horrible smell. Erika was an oddity. Vileplume could be a decent substitute for Venausaur, but Ash didn't want to go through all that trouble. However, he did want to battle it.

"Ares, head in. Thunder Wave." Ash said. The Oddish perked up at hearing this and turned around to face Ares. It got hit straight with Thunder Wave. Oddish froze for a moment before shaking out of it. A yellow hue surrounded it. It would get paralyzed at random times.

"Nice, Ares! Stay close to Oddish and use Wrap!" Ash said. Oddish probably didn't have many attacks for close-combat, and Ash wanted to take advantage of it.

Ares slithered towards Oddish, rather slowly in his opinion. He moved in a straight pattern, and Oddish took advantage of that. A green hue surrounded it, before striking Ares dead on. It trapped for a moment, and Ash realized that it was Absorb. He cursed, Dragon Pulse took too long to charge and Wrap was Ares' only other move. Ares looked a bit shaken up but kept moving.

"Right, Ares, move in a zig-zag pattern. Don't let Absorb hit you." Ash called out, it might be a basic strategy, but it would prevent Oddish defeating Ares by sucking his energy out of him quickly.

Ares caught up to Oddish, who hadn't moved an inch, and wrapped his body around it. A fierce tussle broke out, with Oddish unable to break free but thrashing with all its might. Ash smiled in delight when he saw that Oddish was rapidly losing its energy. He lost his smile when Oddish used Acid. It dropped on Dratini, who yelped and backed away. Small patches of his scales were missing. Ash whistled, that was one strong attack.

His options, however, were limited now. He couldn't tell Ares to get close and Wrap again since he'd get sprayed with Acid. One more hit would definitely knock him out.

"Let's go for it. Dragon Pulse." Ash told Ares. Oddish could easily defeat the Dratini now, but it was their only option.

Oddish used Absorb again, the green jet striking Ares, drawing energy out of him. Ares didn't move and kept trying to control the draconic energy.

"Just hang in there." Ash murmured, crossing his fingers. He deflated when he saw Oddish charging up another Absorb, there was no way Ares could stand that. He ran a hand through his hair but perked up.

Paralysis had struck Oddish, who was now trapped in motion, the green hue surrounding it fading away.

"Come on, Ares!" Ash crowed, smiling happily. Ares controlled the draconic energy better since he wasn't being drained by Absorb and managed to send it straight into Oddish. It appeared to have done much more damage than what had been done to the tree, as Oddish was firmly knocked out and sent back several meters.

Ash smiled, quickly grabbing a potion out of his bag for Ares. The Pokemon slithered over to him, head held up, obviously proud of his triumph.

"Good work," Ash said as he sprayed the potion on Ares. He spared a glance at the Oddish but didn't give it too much thought. Wild Pokemon were generally very resilient.

He thought back on the battle and realized that he had a lot of work to do. Oddish wasn't a very strong Pokemon. If he had a Charmander, Bulbasaur, or Squirtle, he would have steamrolled it. Dragons developed slowly, Ares' difficulty in controlling draconic energy pointed to that. His limited move set and his rather slow speed didn't help either. He'd been quick to dodge the Magmar, though it hadn't been replicated here.

He shrugged, he loved a good challenge and this was the epitome of it. He didn't think he would be able to defeat Gary or Leaf yet. Both of their starters would have started off with good attack and defense and would probably learn powerful moves early on. That didn't matter too much to him, he decided. He'd hold the bragging rights when his Dratini matured.

However, Ares had displayed some good strength while using Wrap. If Oddish hadn't used Acid, it would have been knocked out in a couple of seconds.

* * *

"My dad was there till I was four. He liked to hold me up on his shoulders. I remember playing football with him," Ash said, running a hand through his hair. He had kept Ares out of his Pokeball and was trying to connect with him.

"I remember him and mum shouting a bit. I was probably three or four then. Then one day, he just wasn't there." Ash swallowed. It wasn't easy to talk about this. He had received scorn from other kids due to this, which he hadn't taken to well. Ash had kept his head down and never responded to the taunts. As he grew up, they trailed off.

"It's been so long and I'm still getting emotional over this," Ash muttered. Ares, to his credit, bumped his snout against Ash's leg comfortingly. Ash relaxed at the touch.

"Thanks, buddy," he said, patting Ares. "It's harder to think about now because Team Rocket nearly killed me as well." He tried to calm himself down completely, but the thought of Team Rocket just riled him up. "If not for them, my father would still be alive," he angrily muttered. He took a deep breath.

"Ah, let's switch to a better topic," Ash said, calming down.

Ash and Ares walked — in Ares' case, slithered — for a while until Ash started talking again.

"My mum's always been there for me." His tone became light. "It must have been very tough. She had a four-year-old kid, she had resumed college, and she had to pay all the bills. I remember some nights where she didn't come home at all, working late shifts at some odd jobs," Ash said airily, trying to keep the pain of remembering those times out of his voice.

"She kept going for a while, but then Professor Oak helped us out. He offered mum a good-paying job as an aide in his lab after she finished getting her degree. He actually paid for her last semester. Mum told me he even took care of me sometimes while she was out," Ash said, a smile on his face.

"From there, I became friends with Gary. He used to be less cocky back then, though still cockier than the average five-year-old," Ash said wryly. Ares grunted to show that he was listening.

"But when we were ten, Gary's parents died." Ash's smile faded. "They went to Hoenn for a vacation. Gary didn't go with them because he was sick. While they were exploring, they came across a Shelgon evolving into Salamence. It turned feral and killed them."

Ash had been there when the news had reached Gary and Professor Oak. Neither of them believed it, but when it sunk in, they both were devastated. Gary had fallen down to his knees and had turned an unhealthy pallor of gray. Professor Oak, to Ash's shock, had gone straight to a bottle, which in retrospect, Ash was sure it was alcohol.

Ash had left after that, while he wasn't struck with grief as he hadn't gotten to know them very well, it had still been a shock to him. Later, he had found out that Professor Oak, with the league's permission, had put down the Salamence. Ash had been disturbed when he'd heard of it but understood that his opinion didn't really matter.

"Gary was never quite the same after that," Ash continued. "He used to be brash, loud, and arrogant, but he was just withdrawn after that." Ares bumped his leg understandingly. Ash smiled, he felt that his talk, though it was very revealing, had allowed Ares to understand him better, which was what he was aiming for. His thoughts, however, turned back to Gary.

He sighed. Gary and he had made up, but the foundations of their relationship were still shaky, so Ash would have to watch his words around him.

* * *

Ash came to a stop at a small clearing. It was free of rocks and would be good enough for him to rest for the night. He had started out at noon and had traveled until 8. It was pretty dark and Ash didn't want to risk walking anymore. He didn't have any fire-type Pokemon to light up the path. He could use his torch and fumble through, but he wasn't in a hurry.

Ash pulled out his sleeping bag from his pack and spread it out over the ground. He pulled out a smaller one for Ares, though he wasn't sure if the Dratini would want to use it. Deciding to ask him later, Ash put down his pack and went to grab some firewood. This route didn't have any dangerous or feral Pokemon along it, so he wasn't in danger of attracting anything.

He realized that the process of collecting twigs and branches might be easier if Ares helped out as well. He called him out.

"Ares, go and grab some twigs and branches. I'm going to start a fire," Ash said. The Dratini nodded and slithered towards Ash's left.

Ash went towards the right to grab twigs and branches. On his way, he started thinking about the first gym battle. Ares didn't have any advantage over the gyms in Kanto, but some of them were ineffective against dragon-types.

For Brock, Ash realized he was going to have to teach Ares a new move and train it some more. The move-set of Wrap, Thunder Wave, and Dragon Pulse was not going to cut it against the rock-type trainer. Ash decided to look up some moves in his Pokedex to teach Ares. He gathered some branches and headed back to the make-shift campsite. He noted that Ares had stacked a pile of twigs and branches, considerably larger than Ash's. Ash snorted.

Ares looked up at him and grunted, before slithering over to his sleeping bag.

Ash went over to the pile and separated some for if they needed it later. He pulled out a lighter from his bag and knelt down to light the firewood. He heard a crackling sound before it started burning. Ash kept his hands close to the fire and sighed happily at the warmth. It wasn't cold, but the temperature was lower than what he was used to. Ares came over from the sleeping bag and basked in the warmth as well.

Ash stood up and jogged over to his bag and pulled out two boxes that contained dinner. His mother had packed him and Ares both lunch and dinner. They had eaten their lunch a couple of hours ago.

Once they were done eating, Ares went over to his sleeping bag, while Ash threw in some more twigs to keep the fire burning. He put his rucksack near his sleeping bag and got his Pokedex out of it before sliding himself into his sleeping bag. He happily sighed as the warmth coursed through him. He started surfing his Pokedex, he entered Dratini's profile and found out that Ares could learn Aqua Tail.

'That'll be dead useful for Brock', Ash mused. Pewter City's gym leader used rock-types.

Water-type moves like Aqua Tail would be very useful against Brock, but it wouldn't be a deal-breaker. Ash resolved to train with Ares more. With plans abuzz in his mind, he tucked the Pokedex into his pocket before closing his eyes, allowing himself to succumb to the exhaustion that had been plaguing him after walking for a day.

* * *

"Right, Ares, here's a video showing a Dratini using Aqua Tail," Ash said. He let the video play. "It looks pretty simple," Ash continued, though Ares snorted at him.

"I know I'm not the one battling, but I think you should just swipe your tail at objects and it'll eventually work."

Ares hissed in agreement.

Ash left the clearing where he spent the night in. He didn't really have an alarm, so he slept hoping he'd wake up early. He didn't. He woke up at 8 AM. Traveling for so long had worn him out yesterday. His daily run had increased his stamina, but nothing could prepare you for the arduous traveling which came with being a Pokemon Trainer.

Ash spotted a stream as he was walking. He gestured to Ares to follow him and walked over to the stream. He removed his hat and placed it on the side before cupping his hands to hold water. He washed his face to clear the last remnants of grogginess and started brushing his teeth.

Ares had dipped himself into the stream and was idly swimming around, but he growled in annoyance as he spotted a Spearow nearby. Ash didn't think too much of it and continued brushing his teeth. The Spearow flew close to the stream, and coincidentally, Ash's cap was near its path of flight. Ares saw this and growled again, before using Thunder Wave, which hit the Spearow dead on.

Ash finally looked up at this and said through the foam present in his mouth, "Ares, what are you doing?"

Ares hissed in annoyance as if to signify that it was the Spearow's fault.

"Well, I guess we're battling this," Ash said, muffled. They had battled a few other Pokemon, mainly Caterpie and Weedle yesterday. They had been easy, though a Weedle had poisoned Ares once, which made Ash grateful to Ares' ability, which naturally healed the status effect. Shed Skin wouldn't occur every time, but when it did, it was useful.

Ash stood up, expecting the Spearow to attack Ares, but it didn't, instead chose to chirp loudly. Ash froze in realization. Spearow was probably calling the rest of its flock. He cursed and put his toothbrush in his bag, mouth still full of foam. He threw on his backpack and recalled Ares, not trusting the Dratini to keep up with him. He had no way to defend himself from the flock of Spearow, as Ares couldn't take them all on.

Ash's thoughts were interrupted when he heard sounds of many Spearows, and something else, which he suspected to be a Fearow. He cursed again before sprinting as fast as he could, leaving the stream behind. Viridian City wasn't so far away, he reasoned. If he could reach it, someone could help him fend this flock off. He took minor changes in his route, though keeping an eye on the main path, as that was the only way he could reach Viridian City.

The Spearows and the lone Fearow were quickly catching up to him, Ash saw as he turned around momentarily.

He feared that they would catch up to him quickly; so he suddenly sprinted into the left, and took a bizarre series of turns, leading him away from the main path, but more importantly, farther away from the Spearow. He slowed down a bit, catching his breath. He could still hear some angry chirping, but it wasn't near him. He leaned back against a tree and breathed deeply, closing his eyes. He felt a weight on his nose and opened his eyes, to stare into the eyes of a Spearow.

Ash tried to scream but ended up spitting out the foam in his mouth, which hit the Spearow dead on. On further inspection, he realized that it was the Spearow which Ares had shot a Thunder Wave at.

"Oh god," Ash said and wiped his mouth. The Spearow was hovering a few meters away, clearly not happy with him. It started flying towards him, probably to peck his eyes out, he thought. He fumbled for Ares' Pokeball but was saved from being assaulted when he heard a familiar voice.

"Squirtle, Water Gun. What the hell are you doing?" Gary said, unamused. The attack struck Spearow, sending it crashing into a tree, where it slumped to the ground, clearly unconscious. Gary recalled Squirtle and walked over to him.

"I accidentally riled up a flock of Spearow," Ash mumbled.

Gary snorted. "Nice work," he said dryly.

"Thanks," Ash said, his words dripping with sarcasm; though he couldn't resist a smile. He hadn't exchanged banter with Gary in a long time.

"Well, have you caught any Pokemon?"

"No," Ash shook his head. "You?"

"Yeah," Gary said. "I got a Machop."

Ash whistled, Machop wasn't commonly found in this route. "Nice," Ash said. However, he hadn't seen anything other than the Oddish, some Weedle, and a few Caterpie.

"Anyway, do you know how to get back to the main path? I kind of lost it when I was running," Ash confessed.

"There's a separate section here. That's the path I took," Gary said, pointing a few meters away. "I heard some noise, and I came to check up on it, and I saw you." He finished wryly.

Ash righted himself and followed Gary over to the path, which was narrow and didn't have a lot of room, unlike the main path.

They talked about battling each other for a while, and while Ash was a bit doubtful, he resolved to do it. Even if Gary's Pokemon probably outclassed his at the moment, he would still put up a fight.

They chatted idly for the next half an hour about what they aimed for. Both of them wanted to do well in the Conference, despite it being their first year.

"Have you seen some of the scrubs who come to battle in the Conference?" Gary asked incredulously, when the topic of how well they would perform came up. "I mean, some people literally fight dead-ass gyms for their badges," Gary continued.

Ash nodded. While appearing at the Conference meant that you were at least moderately competent, Gary was somewhat right. People who didn't have the skill to fight prominent gym leaders like Sabrina and Giovanni usually skipped their gyms and got badges from gyms which were still Indigo-approved, but of lower quality.

"We're getting close," Gary pointed after a few minutes of silence. Some distance away, the outlines of Viridian City were present.

They sped up their strides and finally reached Viridian City. They glanced around a bit. They had been here before, but for some reason, it felt completely different experiencing it as a Pokemon Trainer. There was a gym here, led by Giovanni, who used ground types, but it was generally regarded as the eighth gym due to its difficulty. The gym in Pewter City was what most starters fought.

Gary and Ash made a bee-line for the Pokemon Center. They were tired and wanted to rest up before continuing later.

"You go get a room," Gary told him. "I'm going to video-call Gramps." He ran off to the side to use the Center's calling aids.

Ash walked over to Nurse Joy and requested a room.

"Hello!" Nurse Joy said cheerfully. "I just need your Pokedex for identification, and then you're good to go."

Ash got out his Pokedex and laid it on the counter. Nurse Joy tapped it a few times to pull up his profile, before handing him his room key.

"Room 401," she said before turning to another person.

Ash jogged up two flights of stairs before reaching his room. It was a small, basic room that had a bed in the left corner with a window beside it and a desk tucked into the right corner. There were two chairs strewn about and a door which Ash assumed lead to the bathroom. He wistfully looked at it, he really wanted a shower. It'd only been a day and a half since he'd been traveling, but the amount of grime and dirt he collected was just unreal. He kept his bag on one of the chairs and took out a towel. He entered the bathroom and put his clothes into the laundry basket, which proceeded to disappear.

Ash stared for a moment. "Weird," he concluded before he started showering.

* * *

Ash had showered, slipped on a fresh pair of clothes, and had come outside to find if there were places that were suitable to train in. He really wanted to train Ares and teach him Aqua Tail. He looked around for any signs of Gary, but he didn't see him.

There was a deserted area behind the gym, which had a couple of trees. Since the surface was pretty flat, Ash jogged over there and released Ares. The Dratini looked around for a bit before turning to him, cocking his head.

"Okay Ares, we reached Viridian City," Ash said.

Ares grunted in response.

"Our goal is to win the Indigo Conference. To do that, we have to win eight badges, which allows us to enter the League. Our first gym isn't in Viridian City. It's in Pewter City and rock-types are used over there. As I said earlier, you're going to learn Aqua Tail. Start by using your tail to hit the trees."

Ares hissed in agreement and went over to the nearby tree and started slamming his tail into the tree, concentrating on every hit.

Ash left him to that, hoping he'd have success. An idea came to him, and he grabbed two hand-size rocks and placed them on one end of the makeshift training ground and then the other end. Ash mentally measured the distance, and it looked like a straight 25m sprint. This would help improve Ares' speed and stamina if he kept doing this, Ash reasoned.

Ash looked over to Ares and was disappointed to see that he hadn't had any success, though Ash could see the hints of a dent in the trunk of the tree, which impressed him. Ares could really pack a punch.

"Ares," Ash called out.

The Dratini turned to look at him.

"How about we see if you can control water first," he suggested. "I think that'd be more helpful than this."

Ares slithered over to him. Ash pulled out his water bottle and poured some on the ground.

"Immerse yourself in it," Ash suggested. "Close your eyes, feel the texture, and imagine water covering you."

Ash watched as Ares followed his words, touching the water with the tip of his tail while closing his eyes. He was visibly concentrating, and it took a few minutes, but Ash was ecstatic when a light sheen of water surrounded him.

"That's it," he encouraged. "Try to focus it on your tail now."

This time it only took a few seconds, as all the water surrounded his tail in the shape of a vortex. Ares opened his eyes, moved over to the tree and slammed it with his tail. There was a proper dent in the tree and it was very damp. Ash punched the air, and Ares hissed loudly with pride. Ash hoisted the Dratini up to express his happiness but froze when he heard a voice.

"Impressive."

Ash put down Ares and turned around.

"Giovanni?!" Ash blurted out.

"Yes," he chuckled. He was considerably taller than Ash and wore a black suit. Ash had seen some of his gym battles on TV.

"I heard some noise while I was in the gym so I came out to check on it," he said silkily.

Ash nodded.

"I want you to battle me," Giovanni said suddenly.

"What?" Ash said, surprised. Ares however, had no qualms and hissed loudly to signify his agreement.

"You're the eighth gym leader, and I only have one Pokemon," Ash said, confused.

"I caught a Sandshrew for one of my gym trainers, I want you to battle it," Giovanni said bluntly.

"Alright," Ash hesitantly agreed. He hoped that it really was a newly caught Pokemon.

They walked to the edges of the area, where Ash had placed the rocks, and got ready to battle. Ares slithered over in front of Ash, poised for battle. Giovanni released a Sandshrew out of a Pokeball. Ash observed it closely. It looked small and light, which probably meant that it was quick. Ash winced. This would not be easy. He'd have to bank on Aqua Tail and the prospect of Ares catching Sandshrew to use Wrap.

"Sandshrew, Tackle," Giovanni said, starting the battle.

Sandshrew curled up into a ball and started rushing at Ares.

"Ares, dodge!" Ash called out. Ares managed to partially deflect the attack, as it only clipped him in the side. Ash winced, Ares had really been slow to dodge.

"Call water to you and use Wrap!" Ash called out, internally smiling as he discovered a loophole to his Dratini's lack of speed. Just utilizing water sped Ares up. Giovanni seemed surprised but quickly composed himself.

"Sandshrew, counter with Rapid Spin," Giovanni said calmly.

Ares was surrounded with a thin sheen of water and sped across the area to reach Sandshrew, who had retreated after the Tackle. Sandshrew spun around rapidly and hit Ares a few times, but Ares managed to hold on to it and squeezed tightly. Sandshrew writhed in pain.

"Nice work," Ash murmured quietly.

"Poison Sting," Giovanni said, impassively. Ash blinked and saw Sandshrew fire a point-blank Poison Sting, which propelled Ares back. A light purple sheen surrounded him. Ash cursed. Ares was poisoned, and since it didn't seem like Shed Skin was kicking in, he was on a time-limit for the rest of the battle.

"Ares, Aqua Tail!" Ash said.

Sandshrew was dazed by the crushing grip of Ares' Wrap, and despite Giovanni's calls to dodge, it got smacked in its soft underbelly by Ares' water covered tail. The super-effective attack sent it back by several meters.

"Ares, one more Wrap!" Ash called out, going for the kill.

"Dig," Giovanni said with steel in his voice.

Ash winced as a leaping Ares missed Sandshrew by inches as the Mouse Pokemon fled underneath the ground. Ares jerked a bit as the poison sapped more out of him.

Ash realized that he didn't have much time. Every second that the Sandshrew escaped by being under the ground was more time for the poison to knock out the Dratini.

"Ares, this is going to be tough, but draw as much water as you can and pump it down the hole," Ash said determinedly.

The tired Dratini took a deep breath, before increasing the sheen of water present around it, and funneled it all into the hole. Giovanni was visibly startled by this and quickly told the Sandshrew to get out of there.

"Sandshrew, out, now!" Giovanni called out, with an eyebrow raised at the unusual tactic.

Ash watched happily as the Sandshrew made a vain attempt to get out of the hole. It managed to get out, but not before the water had thoroughly drenched it, leaving it knocked out.

Ash pumped his right fist in the air triumphantly, and Ares smacked his tail on the ground, before slumping to the ground as the poison took its toll. Ash quickly recalled him, reminding himself to congratulate the Dratini later.

Giovanni, stone-faced now, recalled the Sandshrew and walked over to him, making sure to walk around the trench of water that Ares had made.

"You have potential," Giovanni started. "You took advantage of the openings I gave you. Using water to speed up your Dratini was smart." Ash nodded.

"However, this will tax Pokemon, unless you train them to withstand the load. Balancing water and using attacks will not be easy."

Ash winced. He hadn't noticed anything, but what Giovanni said made sense.

"You did not use any long-range attacks, which could have perhaps secured you a cleaner victory," Giovanni continued.

"Ares knows Dragon Pulse, but it's slow and choppy, so I didn't use it in this battle," Ash explained.

Giovanni slowly nodded.

"I believe that you can make it to my gym and offer me good competition; I hope you stand up to my expectations."

Ash straightened, this was enormous praise! Giovanni lost the least out of all the gym leaders and was skipped in favour of minor gyms which were easier and yet offered a badge.

"Before you leave," Giovanni continued. "I want you to have this Pokemon. He has some weaknesses, yet he is skilled and sought by a lot of trainers." He reached into the pocket of his suit and pulled out a Pokeball. Ash was stunned. Giovanni was giving him a Pokemon?

"I caught this in the Safari Zone, yet I cannot use it because its typing isn't suitable for my gym." With that, Giovanni handed Ash the Pokeball and left. Ash stared at his retreating back disbelievingly.

"Thank you," Ash belatedly said.

Giovanni briefly turned around. "It's the least I can do," he said before continuing on his way. Ash was confused by the cryptic reply but shrugged it off, sporting a smile before looking down at the Pokeball. He swallowed nervously and called it out.

"Let's see what you are," he murmured.

A tall, green Pokemon came out, with a pair of wings on its back. It turned to Ash and looked around for a second, before crossing its blade-like arms and bowing to him. Ash examined it closely.

"A Scyther," Ash said. He held up his hand as a way of greeting the Pokemon, and Scyther lifted one of its arms to grasp Ash's tightly. Ash winced as the sharp edges lightly cut into the edge of his palm but kept his smile nonetheless. Its eyes bore into him and Ash felt that his soul was being examined by the Scyther's black orbs. They stared at each other for a few seconds, before Scyther finally smiled back.

"I'm going to use my Pokedex to scan you. Is that alright?"

It simply nodded at him in response, impassive.

Ash pulled out his Pokedex and scanned Scyther.

This Scyther is a male. He knows the moves- Quick Attack, Focus Energy, Pursuit, and Light Screen. He has the ability- Technician.

"Welcome to the team, bud," Ash said as he pocketed the Pokedex.

* * *

6264 words! That's even longer than the first chapter :)

Wasn't the best chapter, IMO, felt like there was a bit too much filler sometimes, and I struggled to get words out, but it is what it is. This is my first major story, so take it easy on me :D

I'm in talks with a beta reader, so if all goes well, I could have someone proof-reading this story to prevent errors.

Hopefully, the next chapter comes soon :)

Edited on- 21/4/20

Proofread by my beta reader Lil' Hedgepig :)


End file.
